Home Secretary confirms tougher action on cannabis » Communities » 24dash.com

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith today confirmed that repeat cannabis offenders will face tougher penalties.

People caught carrying cannabis for a second time could now face an on-the-spot fine of £80 instead of a warning.

This was announced alongside a Parliamentary Order laid to reclassify the drug to Class B from 26 January 2009.

Reclassification is a preventative measure to protect the public. Cannabis is a harmful drug and poses a real risk to health of those who use it.

The stronger strains, such as skunk, that now dominate the illegal UK cannabis market may increase mental health problems, especially if young people start to use at an early age or "binge smoke".

That is why the Government accepted the Association of Chief Police Officers' proposal for a strengthened and escalating enforcement approach for possession in England and Wales. Under Penalty Notice for Disorder proposals, which the Ministry of Justice will shortly consult on, those caught with cannabis on a first occasion could still get a cannabis warning, but on a second occasion are likely face a fine of £80 and arrest if caught for a third time.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said: “While cannabis has always been illegal, reclassifying it to a Class B drug reinforces our message to everyone that it is harmful and should not be taken.

"Fewer people are taking cannabis, but it is crucial that this trend continues. I am extremely concerned about the use of stronger strains of cannabis, such as skunk, and the harm they can cause to mental health.

"This is the next step towards toughening up our enforcement response - to ensure that repeat offenders know that we are serious about tackling the danger that the drug poses to individuals, and in turn communities. We need to act now to protect future generations."

Criminalising people unnecessarily is not the Government's aim. However, the proposed new escalation of penalties will ensure the police and courts have a range of sanctions at their disposal so that the punishment is proportionate to the offence.

Both reclassification and escalation for repeat offenders will reinforce the message that cannabis is illegal.

The Association of Chief Police Officers' Lead on Drugs and Chief Constable of Humberside Police Tim Hollis said: "There is evidence of increasing harms to community safety associated with criminal behaviour around the cultivation, distribution and the use of cannabis.

"While enforcement alone will not provide the total solution to a crime that is a global problem, this will act as a deterrent, along with better education about the impact of drugs.

"Where cannabis use is repeated or where there are aggravating circumstances locally, officers will take a harder line on enforcement and escalate their response accordingly. Every encounter at street level provides intelligence and helps us to act against the criminal gangs who seek to profit from cannabis production and distribution."

Alongside this, the Government also published its response to 21 recommendations made by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD). In accepting 20 of the ACMD's recommendations in its Report - Cannabis: Classification and Public Health, the Government has committed to taking forward work across a range of Departments.

Children and Families Minister Delyth Morgan said: "The reclassification helps us get our message across that cannabis is not a harmless drug and that there are real concerns about how this will impact on the future of young people who use it. The FRANK campaign and our review of drug education will ensure that the potential harms are better understood by young people and their parents."